The annual Rotsler Award is for long-time wonder-working with graphic
art in amateur publications of the science fiction community.
Established in 1998, sponsored by the Southern California Institute for
Fan Interests (SCIFI),
it carries a $300 honorarium.
The Award is ordinarily
announced at Loscon, the Los Angeles s-f convention held over the U.S.
Thanksgiving Day weekend in November. The current judges are Mike Glyer, John Hertz, and
Claire Brialey.

Bill Rotsler (1926-1997) knew everyone and did everything. He went house-hunting with
Marilyn Monroe. He wrote s-f. He sculpted with welded steel rods. He
celebrated the West Coast Science Fantasy Conference (Westercon) as his birthday. In the s-f
community he was best known for graphic art, mostly in the amateur publications by fans,
for fans, which we call fanzines. The name fanzine was coined by Russell
Chauvenet in
the 1940s.

The highest achievement award in the s-f community is the Hugo, named for s-f pioneer
Hugo Gernsback, voted annually in several categories by members of the World Science
Fiction Convention.
Rotsler won the Hugo Award as Best Fan Artist five times, in 1975 and
1979, 1996 (when he also won the Retrospective Hugo for 1946) and 1997, a remarkable
span.
His cartoons were deft, his serious drawing fine, his fluency downright
breathtaking.
On this page, four samples.

NEW EDITION: Patron Of The Arts

NEW EDITION: The Far Frontier

NEW EDITION: To The Land Of The Electric Angel

NEW EDITION: Contemporary Erotic Cinema

William "Bill" Rotsler

(born Charles William Rotsler)

(b. July 3, 1926 - d. October 8, 1997)

Photo By Paul Turner

William Charles Rotsler was truly a renaissance man: acclaimed novelist and short story writer, much-admired artist and illustrator, a celebrated filmmaker, and – how he is perhaps best remembered – and as a warm and special part of science fiction fandom.

As an author, William Charles Rotsler was as prolific as he was diverse: beginning with "Ship Me Tomorrow" (Galaxy, 1970) he wrote dozens of excellently-received stories and received Nebula (1972) and Hugo (1973) nominations for his novella, Patron Of The Arts (later expanded into a novel). His word has been featured extensively in numerous "Best of the Year" and "Nebula Award" collections.

Many of his stories and novels have been translated and published in French, German, Spanish and Italian. Under his own name, Rotsler wrote To the Land of the Electric Angel(1976), the Zandra series (Zandra and The Hidden Worlds of Zandra), and Shiva Descending (1980) with Gregory Benford.

William Charles Rotsler also wrote many books under different pseudonyms including John Ryder Hall, William Arrow, and others for such properties as Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Tom Swift, and others. In Star Trek fandom, William Charles Rotsler will always be remembered for giving Lt. Uhura the first name of Nyota in one of his Star Trek novels.

As an artist, William Charles Rotsler contributed to the sculpture at the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters as well as to creation the Nebula Award trophies. But it as a cartoonist that Rotsler is perhaps best as an artist remembered for, having received five Hugo awards for his work that appeared in fanzines, convention program books, as well as magazines such as Locus, and many others. He will always be fondly remembered for his spontaneous charactures and sketches, often done on hotel tablecloths during science fiction conventions.

To honor Rotsler, The Southern California Institute for Fan Interests created the William Rotsler Award in 1998; given to lifetime achievements by SF fan artists.

William Charles Rotsler was also a recognized by many as a visionary filmmaker and photographer, with his photographs appearing in scores of magazines from Skin Diver to Playboy. He helped Piccard set the first/hot air balloon record, been dropped out of helicopters to the decks of destroyers, and photographed the first man to fly a hang glider into the Grand Canyon.

William Charles Rotsler made dozens of short and feature length films – many adult in nature – writing and editing 24 of the 26 features he directed. Working with such luminaries as Bill Warren and Harry Novak (whose career he helped launch), his films include Agony of Love, Mantis in Lace, Street Of 1000 Pleasures, and others. He is also the author of the non-fiction book Contemporary Erotic Cinema.

Beyond his resume, however, William Charles Rotsler – Bill to his friends – will always be remembered as a caring, passionate, warm, and always with a sparkling sense of humor. This site is dedicated to William Charles Rotsler with hope that it will both celebrate his life and art and to re-introduce him to a new generation.

Special thanks his friend Paul Turner, whose support and friendship has allowed us to introduce William Rotsler to a whole new generation of readers and fans